Door panel construction



Oct. 11, 1932. s, MADSEN 1,881,778

DOOR PANEL CONSTRUCTION Filed April 14, 1930 2 Sheets-Sheet l 01 222222 for 66772 jiladwezz- MZ'ZZIEJJ' 3 7 yaw/mm vi i/017191:

Oct. 11, 1932. s. MADSEN DOOR PANEL CONSTRUCTION 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed April 14, 1950 @6271 YZIQdJIP 6 252% 7 "Patented Oct. 11, 1932 SERN MADSEN, CLINTON, IOWA, ASSIGNOR TO CURTIS COMPANIES, INCORPORATED,

PATENT OFFICE OF CLINTON, IOWA DOOR PANEL CONSTRUCTION Application filed April 14, 1930. Serial No. 444,190.

The object of my-invention is to provide a door panel construction with an inset window frame, the parts thereof being simple, durable and comparatively inexpensive to manufacture.

' A further object is to provide a plural-part door panel with a frame set therein in such a way that when the frame and the parts of the panel are assembled, and the panel is subsequently set in a surrounding frame, the entire construction will be retained in assembled position by merely fastening the surrounding frame members together.

More particularly, it is my object to provide a door panel construction consisting of several parts which are separable and a frame adapted to be set in the panel, the frame consisting of side, sill and head members, each provided with grooves into which the parts of the panel project for retaining the frame members against displacement from the panel.

A further object is to provide notches in the head and sill members to receive the ends of the side members of the frame-to prevent movement of the side members toward and away from each other and to prevent movement of the head and sill members away frame members inward or outward relative to the panel. 1

Still a further object is to provide an 1mproved type of weatherproof joint along the bottom of the door panel and its surrounding frame.

. With these and other objects in view, my invention consists in the construction, arrangement and combination of the various parts of my panel construction, whereby the objects contemplated are attained, as hereinafter more fully set forth, pointed out 1n my claims, and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is an outside elevation of a door,

such as a garage door, showing my door panel construction embodied therein.

Figure 2' is an enlarged, sectional view of the same on the line 2-2 of Figure 1. t

Figure 2a is a part of the lower end of Figure 2 shown on an enlarged scale.

Figure 3 is an enlarged sectional view on the line 33 of Figure 1.

Figure 4 is an enlarged, sectional View on the line 1-4: of Figure 1.

Figure 5 is a perspective View of portions of the panel and the frame set therein, showmg the parts in separated postion.

Figure 6 is a perspective view of a notch formed in a part of the panel.

Figure 7 is a sectional view on the line 77 of Figure 2, illustrating the coaction of the panel with grooves formed in the frame members of the frame which is inset in the panel.

Figure 8 is a sectional view on the line 8-8 of Figure 2, for illustrating the coaction of the panel and frame members; and

Figure 9 is an enlarged, sectional view on the line9-9 of Figure 1, illustrating the joint between the bottom and side rails of the frame surrounding the panel.

On the accompanying drawings, I have used the reference numeral 10 to indicate a bottom rail of a door A. Side rails 12 and top rails 14 complete the door frame into which panels B are set. A center rail 16 is illustrated. The door A includes an upper portion havmg a bottom rail 10, side rails 12, a top rail 1A, and a center rail 16. The panels of the upper frame are indicated by the reference characters B.

The sides of the panels coact with grooves formed in the rails 12, 16, 12 and 16, as shown in Figures 3 and 4 of the drawings in the ordinary manner.

The tops of the panels coact with grooves in the upper rails 14 and 14 as illustrated in Figure 2.

I have made an improvement in the joint between the lower end of the panels and the bottom rails 10 and 10, however, which is illustrated in Figure 2. A groove 18 is provided in the bottom rail 10 or 10, as the-case may be, into which a tongue on the lower v end of the panel projects- A groove 22 is formed in the lower end of the panel to receive a tongue 24 formed on the upper edge of the bottom rail.- The tongue 24 has a downwardly and outwardly sloping surface (the tongue being triangular in shape), whereby to drain any water which might get into the groove, toward the outside of the *door."

As shown in F1gure9, the side rails are likewise provided 20 and 22; j I

The side rails and. bottom-rail are connected together. by dowels 26. V

' This construction gives a betterweatherproof joint adjacent the lower edges of the panels, since any water tending'to get into with tongues and,v grooves the joint would have to go uphill before getting into the'upwardly opening groove-18,

"andithe tendency for the water is to run downwardlyand outwardly and drain on the ioutside'of the'door. i I

' In connection with the panels B, I haveillustrated awindow frame consisting of 'a sill member 28,'side member 30 and a head memberr32. QThesill member 28 and the head a 'member' 32 are each provided with a notch 34, into which theends of the side members 30-project.: This is best shown 1n Figure 5, where the ,parts are separated, but the. side 7 members 30 are'in alignment with the notches intorwhich they fit; i

The bottom of the sill member 28 1s grooved 5 askindicated at .36 and the upper edge: of the head member 32 is provided with a groove 38 c and a tongue 40.

The upper'edges of thepanel members beneath the window frame -coact with the groove 36, as best sh'ownin Figure 2, while a groove 42 in the lower ends of the panel memberscoacting with the head member 32 of the window frame receive the tongues 40.

v The sidemembers 30 are provided with grooves44 for the panel members running up anddown along the sides of the wmdow frame to fit-into. 7 I I The ends of the sill member 28 and head member 32 are provided with dadoes 46 beltween which the panel members at the side of the window frame project. The depth of the dadoes 46' is such that itis necessary, to-cut a notch 48 in the panel members to fit over the central portions of the ends of the sill and head members28 and 32. t

The reason-for this construction will be fully set forth in; the vdescription of the 'assemblyof my construction.

The parts of the panels B and B are tongued and grooved together as shown in thesection'al Figures 3 and 4 of. the drawings,

:the'tongues being shown in dotted-lines in Figure 7, and referred to by the reference character 50.. The ;panel members notched outas indicated at 52 (see Figures) are to receive the ends of the tongues 40 on the head members 32.

Assembly In the assembling of my device, the two side members 30 are fitted in the notches 34 of the sill member 28 and the head member 32. V The coaction of these members with each other prevents movement of the side 'members '30 toward and away from each the side members 30 relative tothe'sill and head members 28 and 32,- but does not prevent upward movement oftheh'ead member 32 and downward movement of the'sill member 28. 1 The notches and end portions of the sill and head members 28 and 32 serve to prevent movement of the sill and head members away. from each other, their movement toward each other being prevented by theside members 30.

V After-the window frame and parts of the panel areassembled as described, the frame consisting of the members 10, 12, 14 and 16 is assembled around the'panel and secured together by suitablefljoints and securing means. After this operation, the entire assembly of thewindowframe panel and surrounding frame for the panel are held together by the single operation of securing the surrounding frame parts together, thus eliminating all operations for securing vthe window frame members together and securing'the window frame to the panel. 1

. i The window frame is adapted to support a "glass or the like 54, which may be held in position by a molding 56 or with putty, as desired. 7 f i V It will be obvious-'thatthe frame can be used for other purposes and maybe assembled in wallsurfaces other. than panels for doors without sacrificing any of the constructional, advantages.

- A construction'as'described is inexpensive to manufacture and the operations for assembling it are considerably simpler than present-day standard constructions. j

Some changes may be made in the construction and arrangement of the various parts of my door panel construction without departing from the real'spirit and purpose of myinvention, and it is my intention to cover by my claims, any modified forms of structure or use of mechanical equivalents,

48 coacting with the central which may be reasonably included within their scope.

I claim as my invention:

1. In a device of the class described, a panel, a frame therefor including a bottom rail and side stiles having their lower ends coacting with the upper edge of the bottom rail, said panel and side stiles having grooves in their bottom ends and said bottom rail having a tongue and a groove inward of the tongue, said tongue coacting with the grooves in said panel and side stiles and the groove of the rail coacting with tongues of the panel and side stiles formed of the material of the panel and side stiles alongside the grooves therein, the tongue of the bottom rail and the grooves of the panel and side stiles having downwardly and outwardly sloping outer faces.

2. In a door construction, a plural'part panel, a window frame set therein, said window frame comprising side, sill and head members, said side and sill members being each provided with a groove into which the panel projects, said head member having a tongue and said panel having a groove to receive said tongue, whereby to retain all of the members against displacement from the panel, said groove in said sill member and in said panel at said head member opening downwardly to shed water.

3. In a door construction, a plural part panel, a window frame set therein, said window frame comprising side, sill and head members, said side and sill members being each provided with a groove into which the panel projects and said panel coacting with the upper edge of said head member, whereby to retain all of the members against displacement from the panel, said head'and sill members being notched to receive the ends of said side members; 7 i

4. In a door construction, a plural part panel, a window frame set therein, said window frame comprising side, sill and head members said side and sill members being each provided with a groove into which the panel projects and said panel coacting with the upper edge of said head member, where by to retain the members against displacement from the panel and coacting means on said members to prevent movement of the side members towards or away from each other.

5. In a door structure, a vertical panel, a frame therefor including a bottom rail, said panel having a groove in its bottom end adjacent its outer face and said rail having a tongue and a groove inward of the tongue, said tongue coacting with the groove in said panel and the groove of the rail coacting with the tongue of the panel formed by the material of the panel alongside the groove therein, whereby water running down the outer face of the panel cannot enter the rail groove but is directed outwardly over the ace of the rail.

6. In a door structure, a vertical panel, a frame therefor including a bottom rail, said panel having a groove in its bottom end and said rail having a tongue projecting upwardly from its upper edge and coacting with the groove in said panel, the tongue of said bottom rail and the groove of said panel having downwardly and outwardly sloping faces, whereby a watershed joint is formed and maximum strength is secured for the material of the panel at the side of the groove and for said tongue at its base.

I SERN MADSEN. 

